Victorian mustache cups - a hit of the 2nd half of the 19th century
During the
Victorian era in the British Empire, it was fashionable for men to wear mustaches.
Gentlemen often spent hours in front of the mirror, brushing their mustaches until they were sufficiently full, or they visited special salons, where wax was applied to the mustache, which gave it the desired shape and luster.
Of course, the true
English loved tea drinking.
Here was where the main problem arose: the steam from the hot tea melted the wax, which flowed straight into the drink, ruining the whole experience. The mustache became faded and lost its lushness.
In 1860, the inventor Harvey Adams came up with an innovative cup design: a small square, which resembled the shape of a moustache, was left on top. The gentleman drank tea from the small hole, and his moustache was safe and sound on this platform.
At the beginning of the
20th century the fashion for mustaches went on the wane.
